At least 23 people die in extreme cold weather

Warsaw (Online): A wave of extreme cold weather engulfed Europe which has left at least 23 dead in the past two days, including several migrants and homeless people, authorities confirmed, with the gelid temperatures expected to prevail through the weekend.

The heavy snowstorms reached Turkey, paralysing its biggest city Istanbul where almost 65 centimetres (25 inches) of snow fell, forcing hundreds of flights to be cancelled on Saturday.

Coastguards also ordered a halt to shipping traffic in both directions through the Bosphorus Strait -- one of the world's busiest sea thoroughfares -- and the municipal ferry service between the European and Asian sides of the city was suspended.

Greece likewise has seen fierce cold weather over the past week. In the north near the Turkish frontier, a 20-year-old Afghan migrant died of the cold on Tuesday.

With more than 60,000 mainly Syrian refugees on its territory, Greece has moved many migrants to prefabricated houses and heated tents.